 If you’re in the greater metropolitan New York area in the next month, you may want to check out the new musical production called, “Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville.” The production is inspired by Martin A. Lee's book Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana, and the theatrical presentation looks at the history of cannabis utilizing music, dance, and spoken word. One of the shows co-directors and stars, Baba Israel, said, “Premiering this show on the heels of legalization in New York State is serendipitous. Our nation has a long history of using the criminalization of this drug against communities of color, playing into America’s worst tendencies around race and civil disobedience. Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville examines this history, by which a formerly sacred and medicinal herb was transformed into a corruptive agent of the jazz age, of beatniks and hippies, and of activists and rebels.” The piece was commissioned and developed by the HERE Arts Center, and is co-presented with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and it runs July 20th thru July 31st at LaMaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre Off-Broadway.
The cast includes: Grace Galu as Sativa Diva Baba Israel as Magical Mystical MC Jonathan “Duv” Zaragoza as Hipster Trickster, and dancer Twice Light Choreographer-Performers include: Tatiana Barber, Courtney Cook, Chanon Judson and Samantha Spies Music and music direction by Grace Galu; Concept, libretto, and co-direction by Baba Israel; Dramaturgy and co-direction by Talvin Wilks; Environment design by Nic Benacerraf. Also in the creative team are sound designer Asa Wember, costume designer Kate Fry, projection designer David Bengali, and transcriber Robert Knowles. Alex B. West is production stage manager, and light artistry is by Tuce Yasak. Comments are closed.
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